Real name: Dante Terrell Smith

Effective period / Period of releases: 1997 - 2009

Brooklyn, NYC-based rapper of Trinidadian descent, Dante "Beze" Terrell Smith (better known simply as Mos Def) is also making a career as a Hollywood actor.

Born: 11 December 1973 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA.

He first gained interest as part of the group Urban Thermo Dynamics with his younger brother DCQ and sister Ces. Has since worked with many respected artists from many different genres, notably with Talib Kweli together as group Black Star.

Also known as Yasiin Bey since he handed his old name Mos Def to TV pundit Stephen Colbert after appearing on his TV show "The Colbert Report".